Swat: Bodhisattva in Contemplation

PAKISTAN, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Swat

This statue is the iconographical ancestor of the Bodhisattva in Contemplation that later became popular in China, Korea, and Japan. The figure is dressed with a wide stole wrapped over the left shoulder, the ends of which trail over both the left and right arms. A jeweled royal headdress is on the head backed by a plain round nimbus. The contemplative pose is seen on other Gandharan images of Prince Siddhartha, Avalokitesvara, and Maitreya. The figure is seated in a variation of the relaxation posture with the left leg overhanging the ornate bench, while the sandaled foot is supported on a small stool. The right foot is half raised, leaving the sandal on the stool. The right elbow is supported on the thigh and one finger touches the cheek. A round box is in the cupped left hand, but the significance of this object is unknown.